Irresistible
by Hayley87
Summary: When Dean made the deal to bring Sam back, he had no idea what plans the demons had for his little brother. Post AHBL Part I. A de-aging story.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: When Dean made the deal to bring Sam back, he had no idea what plans the demons had for his little brother. Post AHBL Part I. A de-aging story.

A/N: This is my first time writing a Supernatural story. I really miss the good old days when Sam and Dean had a closer relationship and didn't fight 24 hours a day. This story will take place after All Hell Breaks Loose Part I. This story will probably ignore everything that happened after that episode. There will be no Lillith, no Ruby, no Bela, etc.

* * *

The squeal of tires pierced the night as the car swerved wildly around the corner without slowing. No other cars were visible along the lonely stretch of road; however, the driver's thoughts were solely focused on his mission.

Sam.

He had let his brother down, let him die…but he was going to fix this. He would make it right even if it was the last thing that he did. In the back of his mind, Dean knew that his reckless actions would have severe consequences, but he didn't care. This was probably his best chance of bringing Sam back, so there weren't any questions in his mind that he was doing the right thing. Sam was his little brother, his responsibility.

Desperately, Dean's eyes scanned the view in front of him. There had to be a crossroads somewhere nearby. He didn't want to be away from Sam for too long; he wanted to see his brother again as soon as the deal was finished. Sam would likely be confused when he woke up. It was Dean's job to be there to reassure him that everything was okay.

Normally the music would be blaring through the speakers as he eagerly drummed his fingers to the beat, but Dean wasn't in the mood to hear the classic tunes. Hands clenched tightly around the wheel, he thought back to the last time that he had seen Sam before the disappearance. He had sent his brother into that small middle-of-nowhere diner alone. Sam was only supposed to be gone for a few minutes, but everything had suddenly gone wrong.

'As soon as he's back, I'm never letting Sammy out of my sight again,' Dean vowed. 'The kid gets into trouble too often as it is. Sam got captured by those insane Benders after leaving the bar by himself. Sam left me after I told him about Dad's last words in the hospital, and then he nearly got shot by Gordon.'

'And now Jake,' Dean fumed as his vision filled with red. Gritting his teeth, Dean tried to shove that bastard out of his mind. There would be time to hunt the man down and deal with him later.

No one harmed his brother and got away with it.

No one.

Stomping on the brake, Dean suddenly realized that the car was fast approaching a crossroads. The Impala swung back and forth a little before Dean brought the car under control. When the car finally stopped, the door was carelessly thrown open. Long strides took him quickly to the trunk which creaked as it was propped open. Sure, confident hands deftly plucked the necessary items from their spot and then placed them into a plain wooden box. After setting one of his numerous fake IDs inside, Dean snapped the lid shut and then closed the trunk. The sound carried in the silent open area, but Dean just continued walking towards the middle of the crossroads.

Squatting down on his heels, Dean hurriedly dug through the dirt and gravel, ignoring his stinging skin as the rocks bit into his hands. It didn't take long for a shallow hole to emerge in the ground. Grabbing the box, Dean held it securely in his hands for a moment and allowed his eyes to close.

'Please let this work,' Dean thought as he took a deep breath and set the box in the open hole. He swiftly raked the gravel back into the hole before standing up and absentmindedly brushing off his hands against his jeans. Looking around impatiently, Dean was aggravated when he didn't immediately spot the demon. He didn't have time to stand around all night. Demons were capable of appearing and disappearing anywhere at will, and this particular demon had better show up soon or…

Well, Dean didn't really know what he would do if the crossroad bitch didn't show up. He didn't have the Colt anymore, so he couldn't hunt her down and kill her with it; however, Dean wasn't in the mood to play games. He would get revenge against her somehow if she failed to show up.

"Hi, Dean. Long time no see."

Dean's body quickly spun around as soon as he heard the voice. The beautiful female in front of him might look sweet and innocent to the average person, but any hunter would know otherwise. Her eyes briefly glowed red before returning to a more normal color.

"Why the long face, Dean? Aren't you happy to see me?"

Taking a few steps forward, Dean didn't waste any time.

"You know why I'm here. I want you to bring Sammy back. I need my little brother again."

Dean didn't like the desperate tone of his voice, but he couldn't stop his voice from nearly cracking as he thought about his brother's cold lifeless body lying alone in that rundown ghost town. If this didn't work, then Dean would never again mercilessly tease Sam and make him the butt of his many jokes. Never again would he see his moody younger brother or hear his constant huffing and complaining. Never again would Sam's puppy dog eyes help them in a case by winning over some female who was strange and bizarre enough to be immune to Dean's charms.

"Isn't it funny how life works?" the demon casually said. "First John, and now you."

Trying not to let the demon's words affect him, Dean spat out through his clenched jaw, "Do we have a deal or not? You bring Sammy back, and then you can have my soul in ten years."

Ignoring Dean's proposal, the demon continued, "Did you ever regret your father selling his soul for you? Knowing you, I bet that you did. How do you think Sammy will feel about you doing the exact same thing for him?"

The demon shook her head in mock disapproval. Anger spiked in Dean upon hearing the demon's words, especially when she said 'Sammy.' Only Dean had the privilege of calling his brother that.

The demon smiled when she saw Dean's anger growing. His smoldering gaze only seemed to amuse her even more. Yanking the gun out of the back of his jeans, Dean pointed it directly at the demon.

A small chuckle escaped her mouth.

"Easy there, tiger. You know that won't kill me."

"No, it won't," Dean agreed, "but it will hurt like a bitch. And it will make me feel better."

"Tell you what," the demon said, "since I'm so nice, I'll bring your little brother back. You'll have Sammy again, and I won't even take your soul in return."

Suspicion immediately filled Dean and his eyes narrowed.

"What's the catch?"

The demon only smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you want your little brother back or not?" she asked as she slowly walked forward and pressed herself against Dean, her lips inches from his. "This is a good deal. Better than any other deal I've ever given."

"What's the catch?" Dean repeated, his voice not as firm as it had been earlier.

Noticing that Dean was caving, the demon went in for the kill.

"I know that you and your brother were very close growing up. It really hurt you when he left for college, didn't it? You missed him, and you felt like he had betrayed your family, but the two of you have become close again. Don't you want him back? You were so desperate to get him back that you were even willing to sell your soul."

Dean glanced away from the eyes that had been staring into his. He knew that the demon was trying to manipulate him, but he almost couldn't bring himself to care. The demon had said that she could bring Sam back. Dean still wasn't sure what she wanted in return; she said that she didn't want his soul, so that only meant that she would want something else in the future.

Looking back down into the demon's eyes, Dean gave his head a slight nod. The demon flashed a smug smile before she lightly brought her lips in to meet his. The kiss was brief but intense. Dean pulled away first and even backed up a few steps. The demon had a satisfied smirk on her face, and Dean wondered – not for the first time – if he had just made a big mistake.

"Say hi to Sammy for me," the demon said before disappearing.

Dean stood still for a moment, staring at the empty air where the demon had just been. When it finally sank in that the demon was gone and that the deal was done, he quickly turned around and raced back to his car. Sam should be awake now, and Dean still had several miles left to drive before he could see his brother again. Since the encounter with the demon, Dean now had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He didn't know exactly why, but he felt like something was terribly wrong. Dean hoped that by seeing Sam with his own eyes that the feeling would go away.

Throwing the car into reverse, Dean whipped the car around. The mysterious feeling of dread made Dean very anxious to see his brother again. Hope was welling inside of him at the thought that he would soon be able to touch Sam and talk to him. It had been a long few days as he and Bobby had tried to locate Sam, and then once they had found him, he had been murdered right in front of their eyes. Even though he knew that both Bobby and Sam would disapprove of what he had done, Dean couldn't bring himself to regret it if it brought his brother back.

The car flew down the road, spraying gravel in its wake. To Dean, it seemed to take more time to reach the town coming back than it had been to find the crossroads earlier. A relieved smile appeared when he finally parked near the building where he had left Sam. As a precaution, Dean re-placed the gun in the back of his jeans before running toward the wooden house.

Opening the front door, Dean loudly called out.

"Sam!"

He didn't hear anything, but he kept calling for his brother anyway. Entering the bedroom, Dean stopped on the threshold when he noticed the empty bed. Sam had probably woken up several minutes ago, but Dean had no idea where his brother would have gone.

"Sam?"

Focused on finding his brother, Dean decided to search the rest of the house first before looking around the rest of the town. He hoped that Sam hadn't wandered too far away. If Sam was in the house, however, he should have been able to hear Dean calling for him.

It didn't take long to search the whole house. There weren't any signs of Sam. Annoyed that he hadn't been able to immediately find his brother upon returning to the town, Dean forcefully pushed the front door open. If he did find out that the kid had left the house to wander around the town, he would have a few choice words with him. Dean shouldn't have to search throughout the whole damn town just to make sure that his brother was alive and well. Sam shouldn't be worrying him like this.

A sudden high-pitched frightened scream tore through the air.

Dean abruptly stopped in his tracks. The sound – slightly faint as if coming from inside a building – continued. Dean's heart sank and he felt as if there wasn't enough air in his lungs.

"Sam," Dean whispered.

Since Sam had been the only person in the town when he had left, it had to be Sam who was making that awful scream. Straining his ears, Dean pulled out his gun and raced toward the sound, praying that his brother was okay.


	2. Chapter 2

Last chapter:

_A sudden high-pitched frightened scream tore through the air._

_Dean abruptly stopped in his tracks. The sound – slightly faint as if coming from inside a building – continued. Dean's heart sank and he felt as if there wasn't enough air in his lungs. _

"_Sam," Dean whispered._

_Since Sam had been the only person in the town when he had left, it had to be Sam who was making that awful scream. Straining his ears, Dean pulled out his gun and raced toward the sound, praying that his brother was okay._

* * *

Coming around the side of a building, Dean halted at the sight in front of him. One of Sam's shoes lay on its side, the laces trailing in the dirt. Looking farther down, Dean spotted another shoe with a dirty sock nearby. Slowly, Dean started following the trail of clothing, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. As he continued walking, he spotted all of Sam's clothes except for his brother's shirt. The terrified screaming stopped for a few seconds before starting up again.

Cautiously, Dean approached the house from which the screams were coming. With the gun tightly in one hand, he used the other hand to slowly open the front door. Dean eased himself into the room and extended the gun in front of him. After a quick visual sweep of the room, Dean headed towards the screams. A door separated him from the person on the other side, and Dean braced himself. He had no idea what he was up against. Even though the demon and Jake had left his brother for dead, there was always the possibility that they had come back for some unknown reason.

Opening the door, Dean's eyes scanned the room before honing in on the small boy huddled in the far corner. The boy had his legs clutched to his chest with his face buried in his knees. The screams had cut off, but deep heartbroken sobs racked his body. Dean quietly walked farther into the room.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked. He once more looked around the room in order to make sure that there wasn't a threat close by.

The boy stiffened even as his head shot up in panic. Dean only had a moment to notice the red tearstained face and the wild brown mop of hair before the boy scrambled to his feet and flung himself at Dean.

"Dean!" the boy exclaimed as he wrapped his arms tightly around Dean's legs.

Shocked, Dean stood still and just looked down helplessly at the boy clinging to him. The boy had started sobbing again, and Dean didn't know what to do. Hesitantly, Dean softly placed a hand on the boy's head and stroked downwards until his hand came to rest on the nape of the boy's neck. Giving the boy a gentle squeeze, Dean continued to stare down.

The boy was only wearing a dirty blue shirt which hung down below his knees. He was barefoot, and Dean hoped that he hadn't gotten a splinter or cut his foot on anything. The boy continued to cling to him without saying a word. Realizing that the boy wasn't calming down very quickly, Dean put up the gun and then began gently patting the boy's back. The two of them stayed in that position for several moments. When the boy's crying tapered off and the cries turned to sniffles, Dean placed his hands on the boy's shoulders and carefully tried to push the boy away. The boy let out a small whimper of disapproval, but he allowed himself to be disentangled from Dean's waist.

Once the boy raised his head, Dean stared in amazement at the familiar face and couldn't stop his lips from parting in surprise. Standing in front of him was his brother. Sam looked to be about four or five years old; he was exactly like Dean remembered him.

Sam stared solemnly at his brother before squirming in Dean's tight hold. The movement caused Dean to break out of his trance.

"Sam?" Dean choked out.

"Where was you?" Sam asked as he scrubbed his eyes and face with his fists. "I waked up and you not there. Daddy not there too."

Thoughts racing through his mind, Dean tried to figure out what was going on. Apparently when the crossroads demon had brought Sam back, she had also turned him back into a kid. This was a part of the deal that she had neglected to mention. Dean planned on hunting her down later and making her regret ever messing with the Winchesters, but he had to take care of his brother first. Looking back at Sam's red face and watery eyes, Dean suddenly remembered the horrifying screams that he had heard earlier. Concerned, Dean started running his hands all over Sam's body, closely examining everything that he could see.

"Are you hurt, Sam?" Dean demanded.

Wordlessly Sam nodded, his lower lip pooched out. Holding out his hands, Sam let Dean see his scraped palms. Dean gingerly grabbed one of the tiny hands. While Dean looked at the injured skin, Sam used his other hand to raise his shirt to show how the knees were also scraped.

"What happened, kiddo?" Dean asked.

"I tripped. Clothes too big," Sam explained.

"We'll get you some more clothes later," Dean said as he knelt down in front of Sam. "Now, are you hurt anywhere else? I heard you screaming earlier."

Dean's heart had returned to a more normal rhythm, but it still terrified him to remember Sam's screams. He hoped that he would never hear that sound come out of his brother ever again.

"I was scared. Was all alone. No Dean. No Daddy."

Sam's eyes welled again with tears. Impulsively, Dean reached out and pulled his brother in for a hug. Sam's arms snaked around his neck and latched on.

"It's okay, Sam," Dean's soft words tried to calm his brother. "I'm here now. I'm sorry that you were by yourself. I won't leave you again."

"Promise?" Sam's muffled voice asked.

"Promise."

After a few minutes, Dean felt Sam's head drooping on his shoulder. Pushing Sam's head back a little, he was met with tired eyes. As he stood, Dean scooped up his brother and settled him on his hip. He wouldn't carry Sam all the time, but the boy was exhausted. Sam had been through a horrifying ordeal. Plus, his brother was barefoot. All they needed was for Sam to hurt himself some more by cutting his foot.

Dean knew that those excuses were all true, but it was hard to hide the real truth from himself. He had just gotten his brother back, and even though Sam was not the same, he had still missed his brother. He was glad that at least he had this Sammy. Dean would of course look for a way to bring his Sam back, but in the meantime, he would enjoy this time with his younger brother. It felt good to carry Sammy in his arms, to feel the warm soft body next to his.

Walking out of the house, Sam rested his head against Dean's shoulder. Dean unconsciously responded by securing his hold on Sam.

"I'll fix up your hands and knees later," Dean murmured, not sure if Sam was even listening. "I have some stuff in the car that will make you feel better, but let's get out of here first, okay?"

Sam mumbled something, and even though Dean couldn't tell what his brother had said, Dean nodded anyway.

"I'm glad that you agree with me. I do have a lot of brilliant ideas, if I do say so myself."

When they reached the Impala, Dean opened the front passenger door and carefully eased Sam into the seat. Sam's head lolled to the side, eyes half closed, watching as Dean buckled him in. After making sure that all of Sam's limbs were safely out of the way, Dean closed the door and walked around to the other side. Entering the car, Dean started the engine and pealed away.

As Dean continued driving, he glanced over once more at his brother. He was surprised when he noticed Sam staring at him, even though the boy was clearly tired.

"Go to sleep, Sam," Dean coaxed. "We have a lot of driving ahead of us."

Sam struggled to stay awake as he asked, "Dean? Where is Daddy?"

Dean's foot stomped down on the gas pedal in shock, and the Impala roared as it sped up. Quickly bringing his reaction under control, Dean eased off of the gas pedal and put a more neutral expression on his face.

"Dad had a job to do. He had to leave immediately, so he didn't have time to say goodbye. He told me to look after you."

Dean hated lying to his brother, but the alternative would be much worse. He couldn't tell Sam that their father had died a year ago. Not only would Sam be unable to comprehend it, but it would only upset Sam even more. Hopefully, he would be able to put off any more of Sam's questions until he could return his brother to his proper size and age.

Sam frowned when he heard that they wouldn't be seeing their father soon, but he lost his struggle to keep his eyes open. In a few moments, Sam's eyes were firmly shut and his chest rose and fell with deep, even breaths. Dean wanted to sigh with relief. He hoped to be at Bobby's house in a few hours. Bobby might have some ideas about how to solve this little problem.

Three hours later, as Dean was speeding along the highway, he suddenly spotted flashing red and blue lights in his rearview mirror. His face darkened in realization.

"Crap," Dean spat out as he pulled over. "This is just what I need right now."

Dean watched as the police officer exited the vehicle and came towards him. When Dean realized that the cop was a female, he hoped that he just might be able to talk his way out of it. Rolling down the window, Dean leaned his arm on the side and looked up.

"Sir, did you realize that you were going twelve miles per hour over the speed limit," the woman's stated.

"Yes, ma'am," Dean respectfully answered. "I'm sorry. It's just that we were in a bit of a hurry, Officer."

"License and registration," was all that the cop said in return.

"Of course," Dean replied as he dug through the glove compartment and pulled out the necessary papers. Handing over the papers and the fake ID, Dean relaxed back into the seat. This wasn't the first time that the Winchesters had had a run in with the law, and it definitely wouldn't be the last.

The officer walked back to her car. Dean took a quick glance at Sam. The boy was still sleeping, but as Dean watched, Sam shifted in his seat and grimaced. Sam's eyes stayed closed, and Dean hoped that his brother wasn't having nightmares.

After a few minutes, the cop walked back to the Impala.

"So, Mr. Hammett, is that your son?" the cop asked as she handed back Dean's driver's license and registration.

"No. He's my little brother."

"Why is he not properly restrained in the back in a car seat?" the officer asked.

Dean quickly came up with an excuse that he hoped the officer would buy.

"I just recently got custody of Sam. Our mother died when Sammy was a baby, and our father died a few days ago. I haven't had time to buy everything that he will need. We are on our way to our Uncle Bobby's right now. Our father's death was a shock to all of us."

There was a pause until a quiet trembling voice said, "Daddy's dead?"

Dean's head thunked against the headrest; he resisted the urge to slam his fist against the dashboard. Of all the times for Sam to wake up, it had to be at that precise moment. Turning to his little brother, he saw Sam's wide scared eyes and quivering lip before Sam started to loudly sob.

Not hesitating, Dean undid the seatbelt buckle and lifted Sam into his lap. Sam melted into his arms and fisted Dean's shirt with his hands. The tears soaked into the fabric, and Dean began soothingly rubbing Sam's back.

Looking back at the police officer, Dean quietly said, "I'm sorry, but Sam is still having trouble adjusting to everything. He doesn't want to believe that our father is really gone. Can you give us a minute?"

The officer looked awkward but agreed to leave them alone for a little while. When Dean saw her re-enter the police car, he turned his attention back to Sam.

"It's okay, Sam. Everything's okay. I didn't mean what I said to that police officer."

Sam's wails prevented Dean's words from getting through, but Dean persisted in trying to reassure his brother. When Sam finally pulled back, tears still leaked out of his eyes and hiccups occasionally shook his body.

"Want. Daddy," Sam demanded.

"I told you, Sam," Dean patiently explained, "Dad is working on a job. We can't talk to him right now. He's busy."

"Want Daddy," Sam stubbornly repeated.

"I know you do, Sam, but he can't be here right now. I guess you'll just have to make do with me instead."

"Daddy not dead?" asked Sam.

"No," Dean responded, trying to squelch the guilt inside of him.

"You lied to that lady. Lying is bad," the boy stated.

"I know that I lied to the police officer, but I did it for a good reason. I can't explain to you right now why I lied, but just know that I did it to protect you and me," Dean answered. Knowing that he needed to make one thing clear, Dean continued, "But I don't want you to ever lie to me. Okay, Sam? You need to always be honest with me."

Sam still looked confused, but he agreed.

Dean was glad that Sam had calmed down, but he could see that his brother was still very upset. Glancing in the rearview mirror, Dean saw that the police officer was about ready to interrupt the brotherly moment.

"Sam, I need you to do something for me. In a second, that police officer is going to come back over here. She may ask me some more questions, and I may have to tell her more things that aren't true. I just want you to be quiet and sit still while we talk. Can you do that for me?"

"Uh huh," Sam readily agreed while nodding his head.

"Alright. Good boy," Dean said, ruffling Sam's hair. "If you behave, I'll be sure to buy you a nice big ice cream tomorrow."

"Chocolate with sprinkles?" Sam eagerly asked.

"Whatever you want."

The sound of footsteps alerted Dean to the approach of the policewoman. Shifting Sam a little bit, Dean turned towards the car window. The woman bent down and peered in.

"Is everything okay?" the officer asked.

"Not yet, but it will be," Dean replied, trying to earn sympathy points. "I'm sorry that I had Sammy sitting up front with me, but if I can, I'll put him in the backseat right now. I promise that as soon as we reach the next available town in the morning, I'll be sure to buy a car seat for him."

The officer stepped away from the car and gestured for Dean to get out. Dean opened the door and raised Sam with one arm. It only took a moment to place Sam in the back and to buckle the kid in. He could see that Sam was unhappy with the arrangement, but he was relieved when Sam didn't say anything about it in front of the policewoman.

"You seem like a nice young man," the officer stated as soon as Dean had closed the rear door. "I'm sorry for your family's loss, but it is necessary that you take the proper precautions with a child's life."

"I understand."

The woman paused for a moment as she looked into the backseat at Sam's sad piercing gaze.

"Take good care of him. I'll let you off this time with a warning, but you had better fix this problem as soon as possible."

"Thank you very much. You won't regret it."

"Let's hope not."

When the officer had gotten back into her car and pulled away, Dean started the Impala.

"Was I good?" Sam asked.

"You were great, kiddo," Dean replied as he caught Sam's eyes in the mirror.

Sam smiled at hearing the compliment from his older brother.

"We go see Uncle Bobby now?" Sam questioned, a hopeful tone in his voice.

"Yup," Dean answered before quietly adding, "And he's going to be really surprised to see you."

Even though Sam had woken up a few minutes ago, he was still tired. It was late in the night, and he hadn't slept very well earlier. The panic and worry of the last few hours caused Sam to fall asleep again within seconds. When Dean was sure that Sam was deeply asleep, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Who the hell is calling at this hour?" a gruff voice answered.

"Hey, Bobby."

"Dean?" the voice instantly transformed from rough to concerned.

"Yeah. I'm on my way to your house right now, but it will be a few hours."

"I'm glad that you finally decided to leave," Bobby replied.

Dean didn't want to talk about Sam's death at that moment, so he decided to ignore that comment.

"Um, Bobby, we actually have a little problem."

Dean could tell that he had the man's full attention and that Bobby was now instantly awake and alert.

"What is it? What's wrong? Is it the demon?"

"Well," Dean said as he glanced in the mirror at his brother. Sam had a thin line of drool crawling out of his mouth and down his chin. "It would probably be best if we talked about this in person."


	3. Chapter 3

Last chapter:

"_Um, Bobby, we actually have a little problem."_

_Dean could tell that he had the man's full attention and that Bobby was now instantly awake and alert._

"_What is it? What's wrong? Is it the demon?"_

"_Well," Dean said as he glanced in the mirror at his brother. Sam had a thin line of drool crawling out of his mouth and down his chin. "It would probably be best if we talked about this in person."_

* * *

Dean widened his eyes and tried to stay awake. They had been driving all night. He probably should have picked a motel for him and Sam to stop and sleep, but he had wanted to reach Bobby's house as soon as possible. His fingers itched to turn on the radio and listen to some of his cassettes; however, he didn't want to risk waking up Sam and dealing with a cranky four year old.

Sam had woken up several times during the night. First, he had complained that he needed to use the bathroom. There hadn't been any rest stops nearby and Sam had proclaimed that it was an emergency, so Dean had been forced to stop on the side of the road. After hustling Sam behind some bushes, they had set off again. Next, Sam had complained that he was bored and couldn't sleep. Dean found the second part hard to believe since it had been four in the morning when Sam had made that statement. Trying to keep the whining to a minimum and to keep Sam occupied, Dean had allowed Sam to entertain him. The kid was a regular chatterbox. He had been full of questions, and he never seemed to run out of things to talk about. Later, when Dean had finally convinced Sam to try and get some more sleep, Sam had complained that the backseat wasn't comfortable enough. Dean finally handed over his leather jacket and allowed Sam to use the jacket as a pillow. It had been a huge relief when Sam had gone back to sleep again.

Currently, Sam's legs were curled underneath him, while his head was cushioned on the folded jacket pinned between his body and the door. As Dean watched him, Sam's eyes fluttered. A wide yawn split his face and he spent several moments stretching, accidentally kicking Dean's seat a few times in the process.

"Are we there?" Sam asked while pulling himself up and peering out of the window.

"Soon," Dean promised.

"I'm hungry."

"Well, we will be at Bobby's house in twenty minutes. You can eat something when we get there."

Noticing that Sam was ready to ask even more questions, Dean snapped the radio on and popped in a cassette. Dean cranked up the volume as he nodded his head to the music.

In a moment, a voice in the back piped up, "What's this?"

When he looked back, he saw that Sam's hands were covering his ears and his face was scrunched up.

Dean gave a small laugh.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Too loud," Sam complained.

Smirking, Dean obligingly reached out and turned the volume down a little.

'Only for you,' Dean thought. He never would have turned the music down for his Sam. In fact, there were many times that he had turned the music up louder just to annoy his brother.

"You just don't know good music, Sammy. There are so many things that I have to teach you."

"I know good songs," Sam declared. "I sing for you."

"Okay," Dean slowly replied.

"If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands."

Sam eagerly clapped his hands together.

"If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands."

Sam started clapping, but he stopped very quickly.

"Dean, clap," ordered Sam.

"That's okay," Dean hurriedly answered. "I'm driving right now. I'll just listen to you."

For the rest of their trip, Sam sang and clapped along to several more songs. Dean thought that it was funny when Sam would unknowingly say the wrong words to the songs; however, he was glad when they finally pulled into the salvage yard. Bobby must have heard the Impala arriving because he was waiting on the porch. The man was apparently pretty concerned after receiving Dean's phone call during the night.

After shutting off the engine and exiting the car, Dean raised his hand in greeting.

"Hey, Bobby."

"Dean. It's good to see you again."

Bobby watched curiously as Dean opened the back door of the Impala and unbuckled Sam. When the little boy left the car and ran around the side, Bobby's brow furrowed in confusion. Sam's legs pumped furiously as he ran straight towards Bobby and grabbed the man in a hug.

"Uncle Bobby!"

"What…?" Bobby started to ask before Dean interrupted him.

"Sam, why don't you let go of Bobby for a second. Let's go into the living room. I'll find you some paper to draw on while Bobby and I talk. We'll eat some breakfast after that."

"Yay!" Sam yelled as he ran into the house.

Dean glanced quickly at Bobby before looking away. Bobby's incredulous look was slowly transforming into one of suspicion.

"I'll explain after I've got him settled," Dean muttered.

Entering the living room, Dean saw his brother sitting on the floor flipping through one of Bobby's books.

"Freeze."

Dean hurried over to his brother and grabbed the book. He placed the book out of Sam's reach. These books were not appropriate for his little brother to be looking at. Sam hadn't found out about the world of supernatural beings until he was a few years older. Dean didn't want his little brother's innocence to be shattered at an even earlier age.

"Hey," Sam indignantly said. "Just lookin' at it."

"These books are not for you, Sam. These are Uncle Bobby's books. They are not for little boy's. I'll buy you some books later, but you better not be bothering Bobby's stuff again."

Sam crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

Dean, attempting to distract his brother, rummaged through a desk drawer and pulled out several sheets of blank paper and some pencils. Crouching down in front of Sam, he held out the items. Still smarting over the scolding that he had gotten, Sam turned to the side and ignored Dean.

Sighing, Dean tried again. "Why don't you draw a picture for me, Sam?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Dean could see Bobby leaning against the doorway. He knew that he and Bobby needed to have a serious talk soon, but he didn't want to leave his brother in here upset with him.

"If you don't want to draw a picture for me, you could at least draw one for Bobby. I'm sure that he would appreciate it."

Not getting anywhere, Dean set the paper and pencils beside Sam. As he stood up, he stared down at Sam for a moment.

"Bobby and I are going to go outside for a little while to talk. I need you to…"

Dean couldn't go any further as Sam jumped up and attached himself to one of Dean's legs.

"No! Don't leave me," Sam pleaded.

Placing a hand on his brother's head, Dean replied, "Sam, I promised you that I wouldn't leave you again, and I will always try to keep that promise. Bobby and I aren't going very far. If you look out the window, you will be able to see us. We just need to talk for a moment by ourselves. We'll be back in soon to fix you breakfast."

"Okay," Sam reluctantly said as he released Dean and plopped back down on the floor. Slowly, Sam picked up a pencil and began drawing.

Although he was somewhat hesitant to leave Sam in the living room alone, he ignored the feelings and went outside. Bobby took one last glance at Sam before following behind him. When they were outside, Dean made sure that they stayed within view of the window. If Sam wanted to look out the window for him, he wanted to be in plain sight.

Turning around, Dean stared at Bobby and waited for the man to make the first move. Bobby paced back and forth once before abruptly staring at Dean and stepping closer.

"That's Sam?" Bobby demanded, still sounding amazed.

"Yeah."

"How did that happen?" ordered Bobby. "What the devil did you do, boy? Did you make a deal?"

"Yeah," Dean said again.

"Dammit," Bobby loudly swore.

"It's not like that, Bobby," Dean explained. "I didn't ask for Sam to come back as a kid. The demon did that on her own."

Bobby glanced away in contemplation before turning back.

"How long do you have?"

"That's the strange thing. She said that she wouldn't take my soul."

Shaking his head, Bobby interrupted, "Demons aren't humanitarians. They don't do 'good deeds' without an ulterior motive."

"I know," Dean quietly agreed. "She didn't say why she would make this deal. She didn't tell me what would happen to Sam, but I'm not sorry for trying to bring Sam back. I couldn't just let him stay dead. He didn't deserve for that to happen to him. He's my little brother, Bobby."

As he glanced towards the house, Dean caught a small face peering out of the glass before disappearing from view. Dean wondered how long Sam had been standing there watching them. When he looked back at Bobby, he saw that the man had also noticed Sam in the window.

"I guess yelling at you won't accomplish anything," Bobby sighed. "I didn't want Sam dead either, but who knows what will happen now as a result of your decision."

"We can figure out a way to bring back our Sam later, but we need to stop Jake and the yellow eyed demon first. I don't know why the demon needs Jake; however, it can't be for anything good."

"I'll do some research and make some phone calls to see what I can find," Bobby replied.

"We still don't know what Ash found or what happened to Ellen," Dean stated. "Ash's discovery must have been huge; big enough that something would burn down the Roadhouse in order to stop him from telling anyone."

"I'll look into that too," Bobby answered.

Dean frowned at the way that Bobby seemed to be taking on everything by himself.

"I can help out."

Bobby looked back at the house, and Dean automatically found himself doing the same. Sam was staring through the window again, and as they watched, Sam gave them a small wave.

"You're going to be busy watching out for Sam," Bobby said as they continued gazing at the now empty window. "He's your responsibility again."

A more serious look came upon Dean's face.

"He's always been my responsibility."

Huffing, Bobby shook his head. "I wish that John were alive so that I could give him a good punch in the jaw."

Dean only smirked in response.

"Why do you think that Sam recognizes us?" Bobby suddenly asked. "If he's four, then he should remember you as an eight year old, and he should remember me as…"

"As how old?" Dean teased, even though Bobby had raised a good question.

"Shut it," growled Bobby. "My point, smartass, is that Sam should not have known us. We should look like complete strangers to him, but when you and Sam arrived, he immediately ran up to me and called my name."

Shrugging, Dean didn't really care. There must have been some instinct in Sam that had recognized the two of them. He was just glad that he didn't have to regain Sam's trust.

"It must have been the crossroad demon," Dean finally answered. "She may have changed his body and his mind, but she must have made it so that he would recognize some things."

Bobby could tell that Dean wanted to go back to Sam, so he stepped aside and gestured for Dean to walk ahead. Dean hesitated a moment at Bobby's side.

"Thanks for everything."

Shaking off the gratitude, Bobby only grabbed Dean's arm and gave him a slight push in the direction of the house.


	4. Chapter 4

Last chapter:

_Bobby could tell that Dean wanted to go back to Sam, so he stepped aside and gestured for Dean to walk ahead. Dean hesitated a moment at Bobby's side._

"_Thanks for everything."_

_Shaking off the gratitude, Bobby only grabbed Dean's arm and gave him a slight push in the direction of the house._

xXxXxXxXxXx

When Dean came back into the living room, he spotted Sam lying on his stomach, tongue peaking out of the side his mouth, while he furiously worked on his picture. Dean walked over to stand next to Sam, but Sam suddenly threw his arms over the paper.

"Don't look," Sam ordered.

"Why not?" Dean asked, surprised.

"Not done yet."

Sam's expectant eyes watched Dean until Dean went to sit down on the couch.

"Okay," Dean said, "I'll just wait over here."

As soon as Bobby had settled on the other side of the couch, Sam turned back to his picture.

"I'm guessing that you plan on buying him some clothes soon," Bobby stated.

"Yeah," Dean answered, looking at Sam's shirt – the only article of clothing that he was wearing – which was starting to bunch up above his knees.

"And we need to buy some food too."

"You don't have anything here?"

"Beer, chips, steak." Bobby shrugged. "Not much that's appropriate for a child."

"Done!" Sam declared as he jumped up and shyly walked over, the picture clutched tightly to his chest.

"Well, let's see it," Dean said when Sam still held on to it.

Sam slowly extended an arm and allowed Dean to gently pull the picture from his hands. While Dean turned the picture over, Sam leaned against his knees.

The picture contained a crudely drawn car. A stick figure sat in the front of the car, while two smaller stick figures sat in the back. Near the car, a house was drawn with a figure standing in front of the house.

"That's Daddy, you, me," Sam said, pointing at each person as he explained, "and Uncle Bobby."

After describing the picture, Sam looked hopefully at Dean's face. Dean could tell that his brother really wanted to know what he thought of the picture.

"It's great, Sam," Dean replied. "You did a good job."

Sam beamed in response.

"I really like, uh…" Dean looked over the picture, "I like how you included a lot of details, like this bush."

Giggling, Sam slapped Dean's arm.

"That's a doggie."

"Oh, right," Dean said, squinting at the picture. "I see it now. How stupid of me."

"Why don't you put it on the fridge, Sam?" Bobby suggested.

Eagerly, Sam snatched the picture back and ran out of the room. When Dean heard the scrape of a chair being dragged across the floor, he pushed himself off of the couch and headed into the kitchen. Sam was standing on the chair on his toes as he tried to put the picture close to the top of the fridge. Dean walked over and steadied the wobbling chair. Satisfied when his picture was prominently displayed on the fridge, Sam jumped off of the chair before Dean could stop him. Sam would have gone back into the living room, but Dean grabbed the back of his shirt, halting Sam in his tracks.

"I know that you want to play some more, but I need to take care of your scrapes first. We don't want anything to get infected."

Nervous, Sam's eyes widened and he sucked in his bottom lip.

"Will it hurt?"

"I'll try to be careful, kiddo," Dean answered, not wanting to make too many promises. He snagged a chair to take with them as they left the kitchen.

Once in the bathroom, Dean got out soap, a washcloth, and some ointment. He placed the chair in front of the sink and easily lifted Sam onto it. None of Sam's scrapes were too deep, so it wouldn't take long to clean and disinfect them. Dean ran the washcloth under the water and then rubbed some soap into the cloth. As he left the water running, Dean reached out to grab one of Sam's hands. Sam winced in anticipation.

"I haven't even touched you yet," Dean said exasperatedly.

Sam let Dean grab a hand, but Sam kept his eyes firmly fixed on the proceedings as Dean placed the hand under the water. Gently, Dean washed off the dirt and germs with the washcloth. Sam quietly stood still and allowed Dean to finish the job. It only took a few minutes for Dean to wash off Sam's hands and knees and to rub the ointment on the wounds.

"Done," Dean finally said as he started putting everything back in its proper place. "See I told you it wouldn't be so bad."

"I was very brave," Sam answered as he examined his injuries.

"Yeah, you were."

Noticing that Sam was beginning to poke at a scrape on his knee, Dean grabbed Sam's ankles and carefully lifted him into the air upside down.

"Now, you don't want to undo all of my hard work, do you?" asked Dean playfully.

"Dean!" Sam screeched, the effect ruined as he placed his hands over his mouth and giggled.

"I think that this will stop you from touching and picking at your scrapes. Maybe I should hold you like this for a while."

Dean cocked his head to the side and nodded as if he were seriously considering it.

"Dean, put me down! I won't touch it," Sam promised. His face was starting to turn red as the blood rushed to his head, but the big grin on his face showed how much he was enjoying his brother's antics.

"Are you sure?" Dean asked, sounding skeptical.

"Yes!"

"Are you really sure?"

"Yes! Yes!"

"Are you really, really…"

"If you two idjits are done fooling around in here, breakfast is getting cold," Bobby said from the doorway.

Sam tried to crane his neck around.

"Uncle Bobby, help!"

"Dean, let your brother down," Bobby dutifully ordered, even though Dean could see Bobby's lips twitch briefly.

"Fine. Gang up on me," Dean griped as gently lowered Sam to the floor.

Once Sam was upright, it only took him a second to reorient himself. Darting over, Sam wrapped his arms around Dean's waist and gave him a strong squeeze before running out of the room and towards the kitchen. Slightly stunned by his brother's spontaneous hug, Dean didn't move for a moment. He would have to get used to Sam's frequent displays of affection.

In the kitchen, a bowl of scrambled eggs had already been placed on the table as well as a plate of lightly browned toast. Sam kneeled on his chair, stretching an arm across the table trying to reach the eggs. Noticing that Sam's cup was dangerously close to being tipped over, Dean hurried to the table and grabbed the bowl for his brother.

"Careful," Dean cautioned. "Just ask if you want something."

"You weren't in here," Sam logically explained.

"I was coming," Dean reasoned.

After scooping a small portion of eggs onto his brother's plate, Dean handed him a piece of toast and then took his own seat.

"Thanks for fixing breakfast," Dean told Bobby, while filling his plate.

"Well, you had your hands full," Bobby answered as his eyes glanced over at Sam.

"Yeah. I'll definitely be kept busy for a…" Dean paused when he realized what Sam was doing. "Sam, use your fork to eat your eggs. It's okay to eat some foods with your hands, but eggs aren't one of those."

Sam obediently picked up his fork and started stabbing the eggs with the tines of the fork. Satisfied that Sam wasn't making a huge mess, Dean turned back to Bobby.

"I hate to ask this, Bobby, but can you watch Sam for a little while after breakfast. He needs some clothes, but I can't exactly take him into a store dressed like that and I can't leave him in the car."

"That's fine," Bobby replied. "I don't mind."

"I won't be gone for too long. I'll just guess on the sizes and buy one or two outfits. Then I'll bring them back here for him to try on. If they fit, I'll take him to the store with me later today so that he can pick out some more things."

"I'm sure that Sam and I will find something to do while you're gone. Won't we, Sam?" Bobby asked.

Sam's fork clattered onto the plate as his fingers abruptly let go. During Dean and Bobby's conversation, Sam had been humming quietly to himself and concentrating on eating; however, Sam had caught Bobby's last statement. Looking at Dean, Sam's mouth turned down in a frown.

Dean quickly intervened, hoping to stop a tantrum. "I won't be gone very long, Sam. I just need to go get you some clothes and then I will be right back."

"I want to go with you," Sam whined.

"Sam, you can't go into a store in just a T-shirt. As soon as I come back with some clothes, I will take you to the store with me and let you pick out some toys."

Stubbornly, Sam kicked the chair a few times with his heels. Dean leaned over and placed a hand firmly on one of Sam's legs.

"Sam," Dean warned.

Sam stopped kicking, but he turned sad eyes on his brother. Feeling himself start to cave in, Dean looked away from Sam's eyes. He picked up Sam's fork and put it back in his brother's hands.

"I promise that I'll be back, Sam. I'm sure that you and Bobby can find something fun to do while I'm gone. Now, finish your breakfast."

Despite Dean's words, Sam spent the rest of the meal just pushing the food around his plate. When Dean started to grab the fork from his brother in order to feed him, Sam complained that he wasn't a baby. Sam then put a few more pieces of food in his mouth before pushing the food around again.

After putting the dishes in the sink, Dean picked up his car keys. Sam continued to sulk at the table as Dean walked over. Kneeling down beside Sam's chair, Dean suddenly got an idea that he hoped would work.

"Sam, I know that you want to go with me, but I will be back as soon as I can. Why don't you hang on to this for me?" Dean asked as he took off his necklace and placed it over his brother's head. "You gave this to me a long time ago. Keep it safe until I come back, okay?"

Interested, Sam looked down at the necklace and carefully turned it around and around in his hands as he studied it. Dean figured that Sam wouldn't remember giving him the necklace since Sam was older when it had happened, but he hoped that Sam would just accept it without asking any questions. When Sam finally looked up, a bright smile was on his face. Jumping up from the chair, Sam curled an arm around his brother's neck.

"I'll keep it safe," Sam solemnly promised.

"I know you will," Dean replied as he patted Sam on the back. Pulling back slightly, Dean did a quick calculation in his head. "It probably won't take me longer than forty-five minutes. Do you see that clock?"

Dean pointed at the clock hanging on the wall. When Sam nodded, Dean continued.

"When the big hand of the clock is on the nine, that will be forty-five minutes."

Dean hoped that nothing would happen unexpectedly to take longer than forty-five minutes. He knew that Sam would be even more worried if he was later in coming back than he had promised.

Standing up, Dean ruffled Sam's hair before forcing himself to walk away. As he climbed into the Impala, he looked back at the house. Bobby and Sam were standing in the doorway. Bobby laid a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder, and Sam waved good-bye as Dean pulled away.


	5. Chapter 5

Last chapter:

_Dean hoped that nothing would happen unexpectedly to take longer than forty-five minutes. He knew that Sam would be even more worried if he was later in coming back than he had promised._

_Standing up, Dean ruffled Sam's hair before forcing himself to walk away. As he climbed into the Impala, he looked back at the house. Bobby and Sam were standing in the doorway. Bobby laid a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder, and Sam waved good-bye as Dean pulled away._

xXxXxXxXxXx

As the Impala drove away, Sam forlornly walked across the porch and plopped down on the front step. Elbows firmly planted on his upraised knees, he cupped his hands and rested his chin between them. Bobby frowned at the scene before walking over and slowly lowering himself to the floor, his knees protesting the move. Silence stretched out for a few seconds as Bobby tried to decide what to say.

When Sam had been five the first time, Sam had always been trailing after Dean, looking up to him, and trying to imitate his older brother. John would leave them alone for long periods of time, so Sam had grown to rely on Dean. This Sam probably felt confused and afraid without his brother around, especially since Sam had woken up in Cold Oak alone the day before.

"Dean will be back," Bobby said as he stared across the auto yard. "Your stubborn, smart mouthed brother may be a lot of things, but he always keeps his promises to you."

Out of the corner of his eye, Bobby noticed Sam tilt his head to the side as he listened. Bobby felt uncomfortable saying anything too mushy, but he could see that Sam needed reassurance.

"You know that he cares about you. Has he ever let you down?" Bobby asked.

Sam slowly shook his head. Wanting to distract Sam, Bobby finally looked over at the little boy.

"I've gotten several more cars since you have been here last. Would you like to look at them?"

When Sam and Dean were younger and would come over, they enjoyed making the auto yard their own personal playground. They liked exploring all of the different vehicles by climbing over and inside them. There were also several places around the salvage yard for two small children to play hide and seek among the rows and stacks of cars. Bobby and John had warned the boys numerous times to be careful around the rundown rust buckets, and even though Dean had always tried to take care of Sam, there had been a few minor injuries. Bobby had been tempted many times to ban the boys from wandering around the yard unsupervised because of that, but he had never carried out the threat. Sam and Dean had been genuinely happy discovering "treasures" around the salvage yard and allowing their imaginations to take them away from the cramped quarters and long hours in the Impala.

Excited, Sam jumped off the porch and raced a few feet away. Turning around and impatiently gesturing, Sam said, "Come on, Uncle Bobby. Let's go."

A smile crossed the gruff hunter's face. Gripping the post near him, Bobby pulled himself up. Sam was fidgeting in place as he waited for Bobby to catch up. By the time that Bobby came near him, Sam abruptly spun around and began to skip ahead.

"Wait, Sam," Bobby ordered as Sam started down the path. "You aren't wearing any shoes. I can't let you walk around the yard without shoes on. Dean wouldn't be too happy if you cut your foot on scrap metal and got tetanus."

As Bobby bent down to pick up Sam, Sam backed away.

"I wanna walk," Sam protested.

"Either I carry you or we stay here," Bobby firmly retorted.

Sam frowned, but he didn't say anything when Bobby lifted him up. Wrapping his legs around Bobby, Sam allowed the man to start down the path. Sam's pout only lasted until they approached the first car. When Bobby neared the vehicle, Sam reached his arm out and ran his fingers over the side and roof. At times, Bobby carefully inspected the ground for any potential sharp objects. If he was confident that there wasn't anything around to hurt Sam, he allowed the boy to stand right next to him with a warning about moving away from that spot.

The auto yard provided many interesting things for Sam to see. From his spot next to Bobby, Sam would crouch down and peer underneath the cars. Once, Sam opened the back door of a van, squealing in surprise when he saw a mouse dart across the leather and jump under the seat. Bobby indulged Sam in whatever the boy wanted to do. If Sam wanted to inspect the engine of a vehicle, Bobby popped open the hood and explained what each part of the engine was used for. If Sam wanted to peek into the trunk, Bobby raised the trunk lid and let the boy look for anything that the previous owner had left behind. Bobby's pockets quickly filled with coins, buttons, and other small items that had inadvertently been abandoned in the cars.

Sam's eyes lit up when he saw an old car that reminded him of the Impala. Energetically pointing his finger in the direction, Sam asked, "Can I get inside?"

"Sure."

Walking over to the car, Bobby gently sat Sam on the ground and opened the driver's door. Bobby scanned the front seat quickly. No rips or tears were visible, so no springs were poking out of the seats. Scrambling into the car, Sam kneeled on the seat so that he could see out of the windshield. After reaching over and closing the door with both hands, Sam looked at Bobby.

"Get in," Sam said.

When Bobby walked to the other side and began to open the front passenger door, Sam shook his head.

"In the back," Sam ordered.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Bobby sternly glared at the boy. Sam quickly realized his mistake.

"Please?" begged Sam politely.

Without commenting on Sam's bossiness, Bobby opened the rear door and sank into the seat. It felt good to relax after carrying Sam around for the last half hour.

In the front seat, Sam placed both hands on the steering wheel. As he moved the wheel back and forth, he made car noises with his mouth. Bobby leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and just listened. A small hand touching his knee brought his eyes back open.

"No sleeping."

"I wasn't sleeping," Bobby said. "You shouldn't take your eyes off of the road when you're driving, though. We don't want to crash."

Sam's mouth opened as he turned around and made a screeching noise. With a loud boom, Sam fell over onto the front seat. A faint growling noise could be heard from the distance. Sam's head instantly popped up when he realized what it was.

"Dean!"

Grabbing the handle, Sam threw the door open and rushed out. Bobby cursed as he fumbled with his own door handle. Finally released from the confines of the car, Bobby ran after Sam.

"Samuel Winchester! Stop!"

Bobby was grateful that the authoritative voice was enough to stop Sam in his tracks. He figured that even though Sam was eager to see Dean again, he must have been too used to following his father's orders to disobey a direct order now.

Catching up with Sam, Bobby whirled him around. Sam's wide eyes stared directly into his own.

"What did I tell you, boy, about walking around here without your shoes on?"

"Sorry," Sam whispered, tears appearing in his eyes. "I forgot."

"Well," Bobby replied as he picked up Sam, "don't forget again. I know that you are excited to see Dean, but you need to be more careful."

Sam was subdued as Bobby carried him back down the path. As they came within sight of the house, Dean stepped out of the Impala and turned towards them. Dean walked over as Sam stretched his arms out in his direction. Taking Sam in his arms, Dean was surprised when Sam sniffed and buried his head in Dean's neck.

"Hey, tiger, what's wrong?" Dean asked.

Sam shook his head, not wanting to answer.

"Was he like this the whole time that I was gone?" Dean questioned while looking over Sam's head at Bobby.

"No, he's just upset because I yelled at him," Bobby explained, unapologetically. "We were just inspecting the cars around the yard when you pulled up, and he tried to run over here to see you."

Noticing Dean's confusion, Bobby continued, his voice exasperated. "He doesn't have shoes on."

"Ah."

Dean turned his attention back to Sam as he opened the back door of the Impala with one hand and grabbed three shopping bags. Closing the door with his hip, Dean walked toward the house.

"Well, I'm here now, Sam. Mean old Bobby won't bother you anymore."

Bobby narrowed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief.

"Watch it, boy."

Dean shot the older man a grin as he dropped the bags on the floor and sat down on the couch.

"So, you and Bobby explored the auto yard. I bet that was fun. We always had fun doing that, didn't we, Sammy?"

Sam nodded and lifted his head from Dean's shoulder.

"Did you find anything good out there?" Dean asked.

The question opened the flood gates. Sam sat back on Dean's lap and told Dean about everything that he and Bobby had done. Bobby reached into his pocket and pulled out the items that Sam had found in the cars. Picking up each object carefully as if they were valuable treasures, Sam told Dean exactly how and where each item had been discovered.

When Sam finished recounting the morning's events, Dean shifted Sam over onto the seat beside him. A whine escaped Sam's throat, but Dean patiently explained that he wanted to see if the new clothes would fit.

"What do you think?" asked Dean when he had Sam fully dressed. The jeans and shoes were a little big on his brother, but the shirt fit perfectly. At least nothing was too small. The clothes would work until they could go buy more soon.

Sam inspected each piece of clothing, pulling the shirt away from his chest and looking down, hitching the jeans up and staring at the shoes.

"They're good," Sam finally declared.

"Awesome," Dean responded. "Let me set up your booster seat for the car, and then we'll head back into town to buy you some more clothes."

"And ice cream," Sam added.

"Yes, and ice cream. I did promise you, after all."

Dean wandered back outside, and Sam followed right behind him. It didn't take long to install the booster seat in the back, and Dean was proud to admit that he had done it without even needing the instructions that Sam – trying to be helpful – had attempted to hand him. Dean was glad that Sam wasn't any younger because when he had been at the store buying the booster seat, he had seen what some of the younger children had to ride in. Those car seats would have been a bitch to install and to strap wiggling children into.

Lifting Sam into the seat, Dean buckled him in. As he turned around, he noticed Bobby standing to the side. Dean shut Sam's door and walked over to the older man.

"I'll get some research done while you're gone," Bobby stated.

"When Sam takes a nap this afternoon and when he goes to bed tonight, I'll help you with the research," Dean promised, ignoring the fact that Bobby had earlier talked about taking on most of the responsibility for the research.

Bobby searched Dean's face for a second before nodding.

"Alright."

xXxXxXxXxXx

Entering the store, Dean snagged a cart. Sam's attention instantly focused on the toy section of the store; his wide eyes were quickly searching each aisle, as if he couldn't decide what he wanted to look at or try out first.

Turning to Dean, Sam pleaded, "Can I get a toy? Please?"

"We will…"

When Sam started to walk excitedly towards the toys, Dean stopped him.

"…After we get you some clothes."

"Okay," Sam agreed, even though he really wanted to go look at the toys immediately.

As Dean pushed the cart through the boys' section, Sam walked next to him. It took longer than Dean hoped it would to pick things out. Sam's attention wandered easily as he looked all over the store and watched the other shoppers. They had already chosen several outfits, but Dean thought that they might need a few more.

"Which one do you like, Sam?" Dean asked as he held up two shirts.

"Um…" Sam chewed on a finger while he thought it over. Pulling the finger out of his mouth, he pointed. "That one."

"Your son is so adorable," a voice called from behind Dean.

Dean turned around and saw a pretty blonde woman who looked to be about his age. Seeing an opportunity, Dean walked towards her and casually leaned against the wall.

"Does he take after your wife?" the woman asked, fishing for information.

"Oh, I'm not married," Dean responded. The woman smiled broadly at the statement. "Sammy is my little brother. I'm just taking him out shopping for the day."

"That is very sweet of you," the woman said. "I have an older brother, and he never did anything like that for me. We fought a lot as we were growing up."

Dean shook his head.

"That must have been…awful. Sammy and I have always been close. Our father wasn't around a lot. He was always busy with work."

The woman laid a hand on Dean upper arm and gave it a squeeze.

"It must be tough having to take care of your brother like this."

"Well," Dean looked away, trying to act modest, "he's my family."

A tug on the bottom of his shirt caused Dean to look down.

"Dean, can we go to the toys now?" Sam asked, his voice starting to whine. "It's been forever."

They had been at the store for a while, but Dean was enjoying flirting with the woman. If Sam was going to be this young for a while, it would be hard for him to get out and meet women like he normally would. For at least the near future, he would be busy taking care of his brother, trying to turn Sam back into an adult, trying to keep Sam safe, and trying to find Jake and the Yellow Eyed Demon. There wouldn't be a lot of time for a social life.

Crouching down in front of Sam, Dean answered. "We'll go look at the toys in a minute, Sam. I'm talking to this pretty lady right now."

The last comment was accompanied by a smile and a wink in the woman's direction.

"But the toys are right there," Sam said, pointing at the aisle that was visible from their standpoint.

"The toys will still be there in a few minutes, Sam."

Sam huffed, crossed his arms, and stomped a few feet away. Dean inwardly sighed. Sam had been patient and well behaved enough while they had been shopping, and Dean vowed that he would make it up to his brother later.

"If you're busy, I can let you finish shopping. I didn't mean to interrupt you," the woman apologized.

"That's okay," Dean quickly answered. "Sam and I don't really have any plans today. You didn't interrupt anything."

"Are you from around here?" she asked.

"We're staying with a family friend right now. I don't know how long we will be here."

"Well, I'm glad that I got to meet you. I hope you stay for a while."

If this was the kind of reaction that he would get whenever he brought Sam out in public, he would have to take Sam out often.

Dean continued to talk to the woman for ten more minutes before absentmindedly grabbing the cart and piling more clothes into it. The woman followed him as he walked further around the boys' section. Dean was so immersed in their conversation that he was surprised when she abruptly stopped talking mid-sentence.

"Where is your brother?" the woman asked.

Dean's eyebrows furrowed in confusion for a moment. What was she talking about? Sam was right behind him. As Dean turned around, his eyes scanned the area. When he didn't see his brother right off, Dean looked around again. Still nothing.

Thinking back, Dean tried to remember when the last time was that he had seen his brother. After he had told Sam that they would go see the toys soon, Sam had stomped away, but he had still been in sight. Then, Dean had talked to the woman some more before starting to shop again. Dean had assumed that his brother had followed them, but maybe he hadn't.

"Sam?" Dean called.

Abandoning his cart, Dean retraced his steps. When he got back to the spot where he had last noticed his brother, Dean frantically looked around again. Still no Sam.

"Sam! Where are you? This isn't funny."

Dean had a hard time believing that Sam would have just wandered away. Ever since Dean had found him in Cold Oak, Sam had been pretty clingy. His brother hadn't liked it when Dean had left his sight.

"Sam? Please. Answer me."

No answer.


	6. Chapter 6

Last chapter:

_Thinking back, Dean tried to remember when the last time was that he had seen his brother. After he had told Sam that they would go see the toys soon, Sam had stomped away, but he had still been in sight. Then, Dean had talked to the woman some more before starting to shop again. Dean had assumed that his brother had followed them, but maybe he hadn't._

"_Sam?" Dean called. _

_Abandoning his cart, Dean retraced his steps. When he got back to the spot where he had last noticed his brother, Dean frantically looked around again. Still no Sam._

"_Sam! Where are you? This isn't funny."_

_Dean had a hard time believing that Sam would have just wandered away. Ever since Dean had found him in Cold Oak, Sam had been pretty clingy. His brother hadn't liked it when Dean had left his sight._

"_Sam? Please. Answer me."_

_No answer._

* * *

Dean didn't want to start panicking, but he wasn't sure where to start looking. If his brother had been captured, Sam could be anywhere.

"Can I help you, sir?"

Turning towards the voice, Dean saw a store clerk standing nearby.

Dean ran his fingers through his hair as he replied. "I'm looking for my little brother. He was just here a second ago."

"Don't worry, sir. We'll help you find him. Kids wander off all of the time."

"I don't think Sammy would have done that. He's been through a lot lately, and he doesn't really like to be away from me."

"What can you tell me about your brother?" the man asked as they began walking towards the front of the store.

"He's five years old. He's got brown hair. His name's Sam Winchester," Dean answered. Taking a deep breath, Dean tried to calm down and think about what his brother had been wearing. "He had on blue jeans and a red T-shirt."

As they neared the front of the store, the clerk steered him to the security office tucked into a corner. Opening the door, Dean's eyes immediately honed in on the small figure hunched into the hardback chair. Sam's eyes were squeezed tightly shut as tears quickly rolled down his red face.

"Sam," Dean breathed, relieved.

The cries immediately stopped as the small boy straightened up and spun around on the chair on his knees.

"Dean!"

Sam almost toppled the chair over in his haste to reach his brother. When Sam was within arms reach, Dean scooped the boy up. Sam's fingers clenched into the fabric of his shirt, and Dean reflexively tightened his hold around the small body. Dean was only vaguely aware of the store clerk and the security cop leaving the room and giving them some privacy.

Knowing that neither he nor Sam would be letting go of each other any time soon, Dean walked over and sank down onto the chair. Dean gently rubbed his hand up and down the shivering back, not knowing whether it was more for Sam's benefit or his own. He couldn't believe how frightened he had been when he realized that Sam was missing. When his brother had been older, Sam had been captured by both humans and supernatural creatures many times; however, that Sam had been more capable of defending himself than this younger version of his brother. This Sam was very vulnerable, and Dean renewed and strengthened his vow to protect his brother.

When Sam had finally calmed down enough that Dean thought he could get some coherent answers, Dean used one hand to tip his brother's head back. Sam resisted at first, wanting to stay burrowed into Dean's shirt, but he was no match for Dean's persistence.

"Sam," Dean said once he had locked eyes with the boy. "What happened? How did you get separated from me?"

As soon as Sam heard the question, he tried to pull his face away from Dean's hand. Dean continued to hold onto his brother's chin, realizing that there must be something that Sam was reluctant to share. Sam averted his eyes from Dean's face, but Dean called his name again.

"What happened, Sam? Did you wander off?"

"You were talking to that lady," Sam muttered. "I only wanted to see the toys."

Dean stiffened in anger. He couldn't believe that Sam would be that careless. All this time he had been worried that Sam had been captured, and in reality, the boy had only wandered away because he couldn't wait a few more minutes to look at the toys. Sam, understanding how much trouble he was in, squirmed and tried to wiggle off of Dean's lap. In response, Dean only secured the boy more firmly.

"I told you that we would go see the toys once we had finished our shopping. I only had a few more clothes to pick up for you. Dammit, Sam, I thought that someone had taken you away from me. I thought that I would never see you again."

More tears leaked out of Sam's eyes and sniffles came forth at the angry yelling.

"I'm sorry," Sam wailed. "You were taking forever. Please don't hate me."

Dean let out a frustrated sigh and ran a weary hand over his face. Some of the anger leeched out of his body at the sadness in the boy's words and tone.

"I don't hate you, Sammy," Dean replied as he gave the boy a quick hug and a kiss on the top of his head. "I could never hate you, no matter how mad I get. Understand?"

Sam slowly nodded his head.

"Now, let's try this again," Dean said. "Why did you wander off? You didn't even want me to leave you with Bobby earlier when I came here to pick you up some clothes."

Rubbing the tears from his eyes with a fist, Sam answered, "I didn't go far. I could still see you. You were gone when I looked for you again."

"Sam, I expect you to stay with me whenever we go somewhere. You don't wander off. You don't go by yourself. When I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it."

"Yes, Dean," Sam obediently replied.

"Here's what we're going to do. We are going back out there, and I am going to pay for the clothes that we all ready got. Then we are going back to Bobby's house. When we get there, you are going to take a time-out, and then you are going to have a nap for a while."

"But Deaaan…" Sam whined.

"No," Dean firmly responded. "You won't change my mind about this."

"But you promised me some toys and an ice cream," Sam argued.

"You think you deserve it after what you did?" Dean incredulously asked.

Sam only huffed and pouted.

Standing up, Dean stood Sam on the floor and grabbed the boy's hand. Sam tried to pull his hand away, but Dean only glared until Sam settled down. Leaving the room, Dean noticed the clerk and guard standing nearby.

Dean stopped next to the two men. "Thank you for helping my brother and me."

"Don't mention it. Let's hope that Sam will take more care in the future," the clerk mentioned.

Dean turned a dark look down at the boy's bowed head as Sam studied his untied tennis shoes. "I'll make sure of it."

It didn't take long to hunt down his cart again and pay for everything. At moments, Sam drug his feet as they walked, but it only took a tug on Sam's hand for the boy to walk faster.

Sam and Dean kept silent on the drive back. When they reached Bobby's house, Sam sprinted inside as soon as he was released from the car seat. Dean reached into the back and pulled out the shopping bags. Bobby walked outside as he was heading towards the house.

"What happened?" Bobby frowned. "I was cleaning one of my guns when Sam barged inside, ran into the bedroom, and slammed the door. I went to see what was wrong, but he just laid face down on the bed and refused to look up."

"He's just upset right now. He wandered off by himself at the store, and I didn't realize it until a few minutes later."

"Ah," Bobby answered, beginning to understand.

Dean dropped the bags on the floor and lowered himself heavily onto the couch. Placing his elbows on his knees, Dean laced his hands behind his neck and bowed his head.

"I don't think I've ever been so afraid for the kid before."

Bobby placed a hand on Dean's shoulder and squeezed.

"I know, but just be glad that he's safe."

"Yeah, _now_," Dean replied, stressing the second word. "But what about next time? With Sam, there's always a next time."

"I think the best thing to do is just take it a day at a time. Right now, there is a sad, scared kid in the bedroom."

At that, Dean glanced in the direction of the bedroom. Making up his mind, he stood up and started towards his brother.

Sam was still in the same position that he had been in when Bobby had opened the door. The boy didn't even move when Dean came inside. Sitting on the side of the bed, Dean leaned back against the wall and crossed his legs in front of him.

"Sam, I'm sorry."

Sam shifted at the voice and turned his head to the side. Watery eyes looked hopefully up. Dean reached over and picked up his brother. Placing Sam against his side, Dean wrapped an arm around the body.

"I'm sorry that I yelled at you, but you have to understand that you really scared me today, Sam."

"I was scared too," Sam confessed, raising his head and looking into Dean's eyes, "when I couldn't see you no more."

"I bet you were. It's hard for me to take care of you if I don't know where you are." Dean explained. "If anything happened to you, Sammy, I don't think I could live with it."

As Dean talked, his mind immediately went to the fact that Sam had died not that long ago. Because of it, Dean had been willing to sell his soul to a demon to bring his brother back. He hadn't been willing to live without his brother around, especially after everything else that had happened to their family.

Pushing those thoughts away, Dean continued in a less depressing direction.

"I'm not mad anymore, Sam, but you are still going to have a time-out and a nap today. We'll go back to the store tomorrow, Sam, and I'll get you some toys then, but I will expect you to do everything that I tell you to."

"Okay," Sam agreed.

Silence descended on the room, and Dean allowed the two of them some more time together. Both he and his brother needed the reassurance. Before he knew it, Sam's head laid heavily on his shoulder. Deep, even breaths came in and out of Sam's slightly parted lips.

Dean stared down at his brother as the boy slept. He knew that he would be even more protective of the boy for the near future, and it would be hard for him to leave the boy alone for too long even if it was just with Bobby. They still needed some food for the house, but Dean wasn't about to take Sam out again so soon nor was he going to leave the kid behind. Despite the fact that most of the cupboards were bare of anything nutritious, food could wait for another day.

Before he knew it, Dean had settled even more comfortably on the bed and fallen asleep with his head resting gently against the soft fine hair of his brother.

* * *

Slowly, Dean felt himself coming awake. Without opening his eyes, Dean allowed himself to relax. He couldn't remember what had happened last, but he wasn't quite ready to come fully awake. As he lay there, he felt a small finger running down the arch of his foot. Reflexively, Dean pulled his foot away. A small nearby giggle caused memories of the day to come rushing back, but Dean forced himself to lay still. Barely cracking his eyes open, Dean saw the little boy crawling further along the bed to reach his foot again.

Waiting for the right moment, Dean suddenly sat up in bed and pinned Sam down. The kid screeched at the unexpected movement but laughed loudly when the hands ran over his ribs and sides.

"Dean! It tickles," Sam said, stating the obvious. "Stop it."

"I don't know," Dean slowly answered. "You started it. You were the one who tickled me first and woke me up."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Won't do it again!"

"I don't know if I believe that," said Dean, even though he had stopped the tickling.

"I promise."

"Oh, fine." Dean put his hands under the boy's arms and stood him up on the bed. Getting off the bed himself, Dean lifted Sam to the floor.

"That was fun," Sam said, a big smile on his face.

"I'm glad that you enjoyed it," Dean allowed himself a small smile before sternly looking at his brother, "but there's still something that we need to take care of."

Sam froze. His mouth turned down into a frown as he gazed at Dean.

Steering his brother into the living room, Dean stopped at a corner that didn't have anything in it. Dean crouched down beside Sam as he turned Sam around to face the walls. "You will stand here for five minutes. You won't talk while you're in time-out, and you won't move from this spot. If you do, I'll add more time."

Dean was glad when Sam only pouted but didn't protest the punishment. Not wanting to watch his brother stand there, Dean busied himself with straightening up the room. He put up anything that he didn't want Sam to get his hands on, and he glanced over the notes that Bobby had made while they were gone.

During the five minutes, Dean occasionally glanced in Sam's direction. The boy fidgeted every now and then, but he didn't attempt to turn around or leave. Dean could tell that the boy was quickly growing bored of the confinement, and Dean was glad when the time was up.

Walking back over to Sam, Dean lightly laid a hand on his brother's head.

"Time's up, Sammy. You can come out now."

Sam jumped away from the corner immediately and grabbed Dean in a quick hug.

"I'm sorry I was bad," Sam said.

"You aren't bad, Sammy, you are just too curious for your own good. You've served your time, so what do you say we do something else, just the two of us?"

"Yay!" Sam yelled. Grabbing Dean's hand, Sam led him towards the front door. "I saw a ball outside. Let's play ball."

Dean obligingly followed alongside his brother. He was glad that everything was fine between the two of them again, and he was willing to do whatever Sam wanted to for the rest of the day. There would be time to worry about demons and psychic kids later; now, it was time to play some ball.

* * *

A/N: So, nothing horrendous happened to Sam...yet. I still have big plans for poor Sammy, though.


	7. Chapter 7

Last chapter:

_Sam jumped away from the corner immediately and grabbed Dean in a quick hug._

"_I'm sorry I was bad," Sam said._

"_You aren't bad, Sammy, you are just too curious for your own good. You've served your time, so what do you say we do something else, just the two of us?"_

"_Yay!" Sam yelled. Grabbing Dean's hand, Sam led him towards the front door. "I saw a ball outside. Let's play ball."_

_Dean obligingly followed alongside his brother. He was glad that everything was fine between the two of them again, and he was willing to do whatever Sam wanted to for the rest of the day. There would be time to worry about demons and psychic kids later; now, it was time to play some ball._

* * *

Pulling back the covers, Dean allowed Sam to scramble onto the bed. Once Sam was settled comfortably, the blankets were pulled up, Dean's hand lingering on his brother's small shoulder. Sam drowsily smiled up at him while struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Will you tell me a story, Dean?" Sam pleaded.

Dean blew out a breath while lounging next to Sam and putting an arm around his brother. Sam eagerly scooted over and snuggled up against Dean, clutching a fistful of his shirt in his hand.

"I don't know a lot of bedtime stories, Sam, but when we go to the store tomorrow, we can buy you some books too."

"Okay," Sam pouted, disappointed.

Squeezing Sam against him, Dean continued, "I promise, Sam. I'll read you as many stories as you want tomorrow night."

"As many as I want?" Sam impishly smiled.

"Well…"

Laughing, Sam cuddled closer and laid his head down on Dean's chest.

"How about I just stay here until you fall asleep?" Dean asked in compromise.

Yawning, Sam just nodded his head. The heavy weight of his brother lying against him felt wonderful. Absentmindedly, Dean rubbed his hand in circles over Sam's back.

Twenty-four hours ago he had believed that he would never see Sam again. Now he had his brother back, even though Sam wasn't himself right now. Dean didn't know if there was any way to bring his brother back, but he promised himself that he would make the most of the time that he had. If Sam never changed back, he would make sure that Sam had a better childhood this time around.

Hearing the slow deep breathing, Dean realized that his brother was asleep. Carefully extricating himself from the firm grip Sam had on his shirt, he slid off of the bed. The door softly closed behind him as he left the room to hunt down Bobby. The older man was in the kitchen staring out the window, one hand braced against the counter while the other raised a bottle to his lips to take a swig of beer.

"Sam asleep?" Bobby asked without turning around.

"Yeah," Dean replied, walking over and standing beside Bobby. "What did you find out today?"

Finally, Bobby turned and started walking out of the room, gesturing for Dean to join him. When they entered the living room, Dean noticed a map lying on the desk surrounded by several open books.

"What am I looking at?" Dean questioned as his eyes roamed over the map.

"Southern Wyoming. There have been several demonic omens in the area: cattle deaths, electrical storms."

"What do you think is happening? When we were looking for Sam, you said that there was nothing, and now, there's demonic omens popping up all over this area."

"I've got no clue. I've been researching all afternoon, and I've got nothing."

Rubbing a hand over his face hard, Dean turned away and let out a frustrated sigh.

"The Yellow Eyed Demon is up to something. Why did he want Sam? What's going to happen in Wyoming?"

Bobby leaned against the table and took another swig.

"We'll find out, Dean. I know you won't give up when it comes to that boy."

Dean started to respond, but a noise outside stopped the conversation. Bobby quickly sat down his bottle and grabbed his shotgun while Dean slipped his gun out of his jacket pocket. Sharing a meaningful look, Bobby started for the front door as Dean headed towards Sam's room. If anyone or anything managed to slip around Bobby, Dean was prepared to defend his little brother.

Cracking the door open and quietly entering, Dean noticed that Sam was still asleep. The bedroom had a window on one of the walls, so Dean walked over and made sure that the window was locked before pulling the shades back over the glass.

"Dean." Bobby's quiet voice came from the hallway. "It's okay."

Releasing a sigh of relief, Dean checked on his brother one more time before heading back to the living room. Upon walking into the room, Dean stopped in disbelief.

"Surprised to see me?" Ellen quietly teased, a sad smile on her face.

"Ellen," Dean breathed before walking over and engulfing the woman in a strong hug. "We thought that you were dead."

"Damn near was," Ellen replied.

Pulling away so that he could look into Ellen's eyes, Dean hesitated before saying, "We saw the Roadhouse. We saw Ash."

Ellen stepped away and turned her back on the two men. Her arms folded across her chest as she stared into space.

"A lot of good people died in that fire."

Dean knew that she was hurting, but he had to see if she knew anything more than they did.

"Before Ash died he called us and said that he had found something, but he wouldn't talk about it over the phone. Do you know what he was talking about?"

"Yeah," Ellen replied as she turned around and pulled a map out of her pocket. Unfolding the map on the desk, Dean realized that it was another map of Wyoming.

"He showed me this map not long before the fire started."

"What do the marks mean?" Dean asked.

Ellen shook her head, but Bobby suddenly started flipping rapidly through a book which had been open on his desk.

"Where's Sam?" Ellen questioned, finally realizing his absence.

"We did find him after he disappeared, but…"

Dean trailed off, not wanting to discuss his brother's death. Bobby glanced up as he continued to trail his finger down a page.

Hearing Dean's reluctance, Ellen shifted closer and gave him an encouraging look.

"One of the other psychic kids that had been taken stabbed Sam in the back."

Gasping, Ellen put one hand over her mouth while placing her other hand gently on Dean's shoulder.

"Is he okay? What happened?"

Shrugging her hand off, Dean avoided everyone's eyes as he paced back and forth.

"Sam died in my arms. I couldn't let him stay dead, so I made a deal." Noticing the look on Ellen's face, Dean got defensive. "I don't need another lecture from you too. Bobby has already said enough. Sam is my only family left. I would do anything for him. I couldn't live without him."

Dean's voice cracked at the end. Clearing his throat, Dean tried to subtly swipe his arm over his eye.

Quietly, Ellen said, "I wasn't going to reprimand you, Dean, but if you brought him back, where is he?"

"I've got it," Bobby interrupted.

"What've you got, Bobby?" Dean asked, perking up.

"The marks on Ash's map represent old churches built by Samuel Colt. Each of the churches were connected by iron railroads like this," Bobby explained as he drew lines over the map. "So essentially, he created one large…"

"Devil's Trap," Dean excitedly interjected.

"Exactly."

A low whimper cause the three of them to freeze. Dean was the first one to recover as he ran down the hallway and threw open the bedroom door. Sam was sitting up in bed, tears running down his cheeks. As soon as he spotted Dean, Sam opened his arms, reaching for his brother.

"Dean," Sam cried out.

"It's okay, Sammy," Dean reassured him as Sam crawled into his lap. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Uh huh," Sam sniffled.

Dean grimaced, thinking about the snot being smeared all over his shirt.

A loud gasp in the doorway caused Dean to cradle Sam more snugly against him as he turned his body. Ellen stood in shock staring at the boy in his arms.

"What…how…"

"Come on," Bobby said, gently taking her elbow and steering her back to the living room. "Let's leave them alone. I'll explain everything to you."

Seeing the strange woman, Sam stiffened in his arms. His hold on Dean's shirt tightened as his eyes followed her.

"Who is that?"

Dean rubbed a hand up and down Sam's back trying to release some of the tension.

"Her name is Ellen. She is a friend of Dad and Bobby. I'll introduce you to her later. Do you want to tell me about your nightmare, bud?"

Sam shuddered and his breath hitched.

"I was back in that town. All alone. It was scary."

Clutching his brother tightly, Dean wished that he could take Sam's pain away. He wished that Sam hadn't woken up in Cold Oak all alone, especially since he was now younger and didn't have his adult memories.

"I swear I'll keep you safe, Sam. It was just a dream. You're okay."

It had taken about an hour before Sam calmed down enough to fall back asleep. There were several times when Dean thought that his brother was asleep only for Sam's eyes to snap widely open and sit up when Dean tried to get off the bed.

By the time that Dean did slip out of the room, he was exhausted. It was late and he knew that it would be even later when he finally did get to sleep. There were several more things that he, Bobby, and Ellen needed to discuss.

When he got to the living room, Bobby was relaxing in his desk chair while Ellen was slumped over on the couch. She straightened up when Dean entered.

"Is it true? Was that really Sam?"

Leaning against the wall, Dean replied. "It's true. That demon bitch brought him back as a kid. I don't know why or what we can do about it, but it's him."

"Okay," Ellen answered, still slightly stunned at the news.

"Bobby," Dean said as he looked over at the man, "we need to talk about what we are going to do about the Yellow Eyed Demon. You know that we're going to have to go to Wyoming."

Giving Dean a once over, Bobby responded. "You're tired, Dean. We all are, but you've been through a big shock. We can talk about this more tomorrow."

Immediately Dean shook his head.

"We need to talk about this now. We won't have time tomorrow with Sam hanging around."

"I can watch over Sam tomorrow so that you and Bobby can talk," Ellen volunteered. "I can even take somewhere if you don't want him in the house."

"I don't know, Ellen," Dean said reluctantly. "Sam doesn't want to be far away from me, and he doesn't even know you."

"Well, I can spend some time with him tomorrow morning with you around. If neither you nor he are comfortable with me taking him away from the house after that, then we can just do something outside."

"I trust you Ellen," Dean immediately answered. "It's just that Sam is having a hard time right now."

"I understand."

Pushing off of the wall, Dean straightened up.

"I think I'll stay with Sammy tonight just in case he has more nightmares. We can talk more in the morning," Dean said as he walked out of the room.

Once he was back in the bedroom, Dean was glad to see that Sam was sleeping peacefully. Slowly, Dean lowered himself onto the bed and rolled onto his side facing his brother. Unconsciously, Sam's body moved over until he was lying against Dean. Smiling at his brother's movement, Dean put an arm over Sam's body and immediately fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

_Last chapter:_

_Pushing off of the wall, Dean straightened up._

"_I think I'll stay with Sammy tonight just in case he has more nightmares. We can talk more in the morning," Dean said as he walked out of the room._

_Once he was back in the bedroom, Dean was glad to see that Sam was sleeping peacefully. Slowly, Dean lowered himself onto the bed and rolled onto his side facing his brother. Unconsciously, Sam's body moved over until he was lying against Dean. Smiling at his brother's movement, Dean put an arm over Sam's body and immediately fell asleep._

* * *

Waking up in the morning, Dean's face softened when he saw the small body plastered against him. The only thing visible above the covers was a mop of hair as Sam's face was buried into his side. Carefully, Dean scooted out from under his brother and got off of the bed. After falling asleep last night, both of them had slept soundly. No more nightmares woke either of them up. Deciding to let his brother sleep a little longer, Dean quietly left the room.

Bobby and Ellen were sitting in the kitchen when he entered. Both looked up when he walked in, and they quickly noticed that he was missing his shadow.

"He's still asleep," Dean said to their unasked question.

"Did he wake up any more last night?" Bobby asked.

"No, he was fine after I laid down with him. Hopefully he will get over the nightmares pretty soon."

"What are the plans for today?" Ellen asked.

"I promised Sammy that I would take him to buy some toys and to get some ice cream today, but with what we found out last night, I don't think we'll have time to do it. I hate to let him down."

"If you don't mind, I can take him into town," Ellen said. "That will give you and Bobby a chance to make a plan. We can ask Sam what he wants to do, though."

A small head peaking around the corner stopped the conversation. When Sam noticed that all attention was on him, the head ducked away and disappeared.

"It's okay, Sam. You can come in here. There aren't many choices for breakfast, but I can make you some toast."

At Dean's words, Sam slowly walked forward. He curiously watched Ellen as he climbed onto Dean's lap and leaned back against his brother's chest.

"Hi, Sam. I didn't get a chance to introduce myself last night, but my name is Ellen."

After sneaking a quick look up at his brother, Sam shyly waved.

"Dean said you know Daddy."

"That's right. I know your father," Ellen cautiously answered, avoiding the past tense. She knew that Dean hadn't told Sam that their father was dead.

"When will Daddy be here?" Sam asked looking at Dean.

"He's still busy, Sam, so I'm in charge while he's gone," Dean answered.

Dean started to get up, but Sam wasn't ready for him to move yet. Clutching Dean's shirt, Sam pulled him closer.

"Sam, I promise you can sit in my lap, but I'm going to get you some breakfast first. Aren't you hungry?"

Ellen got up and motioned for Dean to stay seated.

"I can fix him something. Don't worry about it."

Dean obligingly stayed and settled Sam more comfortably on him. From his perch on Dean's lap, Sam kept a close eye on Ellen, not sure how he felt about her just yet.

"Is this your drawing, Sam?" Ellen asked pointing to the picture attached to the fridge as she pulled out some jelly.

Sam nodded and quietly said yes.

"Well, it's very good."

Eyes lighting up at the compliment, Sam leaned forward and slid off of Dean's lap. Walking over to the fridge, he pointed.

"Dean though this was a doggie," Sam said giggling.

"Well," Ellen drawled as she patted Sam on the head and gave him a wink, "he just doesn't know anything about good art."

"Ellen," Dean slyly interjected, "why don't you tell us what it is then."

"I'd love to, but I'm busy making breakfast for you and your brother. Why don't you help me, Sam? Go ahead and put this on the table for me."

Sam eagerly grabbed the plate of toast and carefully walked over to the table trying not to trip or spill anything on the floor. Once the plate was on the table, Sam bounced back over to Ellen's side.

"What else can I do?"

"Here are some glasses, sweetie. If you put them on the table, I'm sure Dean can help you pour the milk."

"Bobby, you have milk?" Dean asked incredulously.

Gruffly, Bobby answered a little defensively, "Well, the kid needed something to drink, and I had a little time this morning before you got up. I didn't get much else though since I didn't know what else he would like."

Dean just grinned. It hadn't taken very long for Sam to wrap the old rough hunter around his little finger.

As they finished up breakfast, Sam helped clean up the table. When he was done, Ellen gave him a small hug which Sam enthusiastically returned.

"Thank you, Sam. You've been a big help this morning. Why don't we go into the other room and you can draw a picture for me? I love the one you did for Bobby."

Sam grabbed her hand and started to lead her out of the room. He suddenly stopped when he realized something. Turning back, Sam ran over to his brother.

"You promised that we would buy some toys and ice cream today. When are we going?"

"Well, Sam," Dean replied as he stood up, "Bobby and I have some things that we need to take care of this morning. I don't know when we will have some free time."

"But you promised!" Sam cried out.

"I know, Sam, and I'm sorry, but something came up. It's very important. I promise that I will go with you as soon as I can."

Sam crossed his arms over his chest, lip sticking out and brows furrowed angrily.

"Sam," Dean sternly warned as he crouched down to his brother's height. "Ellen is going to watch out for you today until Bobby and I are done. You better behave for her or we won't go at all."

Looking around, Dean noticed that Bobby and Ellen had quietly slipped out of the room in order to give him and Sam some privacy. Setting his hands firmly on his brother's shoulders, Dean looked Sam straight in the eyes.

"I will be talking to Ellen this afternoon. She better give me a good report."

Sam tried to squirm away from Dean's grip, but Dean just tightened his hands briefly.

"This is your last warning, Sam. Do you understand me?"

Not wanting to get in trouble, Sam reluctantly nodded his head. Eyes on the floor, he avoided looking up at his brother. Dean gently chucked Sam underneath the chin causing Sam to look up.

"Tell me, Sam," Dean said, voice softer. "Don't just nod."

"I understand," Sam quietly replied.

Giving Sam a quick hug, Dean stood up and started herding Sam into the living room. Ellen was already seated on the couch with paper and pencils surrounding her. Seeing the art supplies waiting and ready, Sam scrambled over and pulled himself up onto the couch. Even though he wished he could stay and play with Sam, Dean turned around and began looking for Bobby. There would be plenty of time for him and Sam to play together as soon as the Yellow Eyed Demon was taken care of.

* * *

"So you think that the Yellow Eyed Demon and this psychic kid are headed to Wyoming?" Dean asked as he studied the map.

"That's the best lead that we have," Bobby said while shrugging.

"What do you think is there?"

"I don't know, but I think we need to get there as soon as we can to stop it."

This caused Dean to jerk upwards.

"What about Sam? We can't just leave him here, and we can't take him with us."

"I think that we have two options," Bobby explained. "Either you stay here with Sam and Ellen comes with me, or Ellen can stay here with Sam while you come with me."

Dean slumped down onto the chair next to him. Neither option sounded great to him. He wanted very badly to go and confront the Yellow Eyed Demon. That bastard had killed his mother, his father, Jessica, and had even led to Sam's death. If anyone deserved to have a hand in destroying the demon, Dean was one of them.

One the other hand, he hated to leave Sam here for who knew how long. Sam didn't want to be without him for a long period of time, but if he left to go with Bobby, then it could be a few days before he and Bobby would be able to get back. And what if something bad happened to him while he was away? Over the last few years, he had endured a lot of injuries while on a hunt. What if something happened to him and he was unable to care for Sam? He didn't know if he could do that to his little brother.

"I know this is tough for you," Bobby said as he laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, "but we need to make a decision soon. They have a head start on us, so we have to go today within the next few hours."

Dean took a deep breath and then let it out heavily as he stared out the window.

"I hate to do this, but I'm coming with you. Sam can stay here with Ellen."

"Okay then," Bobby brusquely replied. "We don't know what we're facing, so let's get everything packed up and ready to go."

As Dean gathered the supplies that they needed and stored them in the trunk of his car, he was careful to avoid the room where Sam and Ellen were. He didn't want to see Sam until the last minute. It would be hard enough saying goodbye to Sam once. It would be best if he didn't tell his brother anything until then.

Once the Colt was carefully placed in the trunk, Dean closed the lid. Everything was ready. Now the only thing he had left to do was tell Sam that he and Bobby were leaving.

As he entered the house, Sam heard the door close and ran into the hallway. He threw his arms around his brother's legs and squeezed hard. Dean had to rest a hand on the wall to stop himself from being pushed over by his brother's energy.

"Dean, are you and Bobby done? Me and Ellen have been waiting foreverrrr."

"Yeah, we're done," Dean carefully said as he pried his brother's arms away from his legs. Dean squatted down and placed his arms on Sam's shoulders while looking seriously into his eyes.

Immediately Sam noticed the change in his brother. He tried to wiggle out of Dean's grasp, but Dean held on.

"Sam, I need you to listen carefully to me. There is somewhere that Bobby and I have to go, maybe for a few days."

As soon as Sam heard his brother say that he was leaving, his eyes filled with tears and his body went stiff.

"You said you would stay with me. Keep me safe," Sam quietly said.

"I know, kid, and I promise that I will come back to you."

"But," Sam cried out as a tear ran down his cheek, "you could take me with you. I promise I'll be good."

Dean gritted his teeth as he closed his eyes and turned his head away for a minute.

"I know I was bad yesterday," Sam continued. "I'm sorry."

"Sam," Dean immediately replied, "I'm not leaving you because you wandered away from me in the store. Bobby and I have some business to take care of, and I can't take you with me. I'll be back as soon as I can. While I'm gone, Ellen will take care of you."

Dean noticed that he and Sam were the only ones around. He guessed that Bobby was busy filling Ellen in on the details of what he and Dean had discussed.

Sam abruptly yanked out of Dean's grip. Before Dean could grab his shoulders again, Sam took off running down the hallway.

"You're mean. I hate you," Sam yelled.

"Sam, stop!" Dean shouted as he scrambled to get up from his crouched position.

The bedroom door slammed shut before Dean could reach it. As he approached, Dean heard the door being locked and Sam crawling onto the bed crying.

"Sam," Dean called out as he pounded on the door, "let me in."

"Go away!"

"Sam!"

A hand on his shoulder stopped him from continuing. Turning around, Dean saw Bobby and Ellen standing nearby. Walking slightly away from the door, Dean leaned heavily against the wall.

"Dean, he's upset right now. It would probably be best if you just left him alone," Bobby reasoned.

Roughly running a hand over his hair, Dean said, "I remember Sam acting this way the first time around when Dad would leave. That time Sam would turn to me. Now I'm the one he's running away from."

"He'll be okay here with me," Ellen comfortingly said.

"I hate to leave him like this."

"I know, son, but we need to go," Bobby replied.

"Give me a minute. Please."

"I'll be waiting outside," Bobby agreed.

As Bobby and Ellen walked away, Dean went back to the door. Leaning against the door, Dean wished that he didn't have to leave.

"Sam," Dean softly said. "I know you're mad at me, but I just wanted you to know that Bobby and I are leaving now. I wish you would open the door and let me see you before we leave."

Silence was all that greeted him.

"Okay," Dean sighed. "We'll be back soon. Bye, Sam. Be good for Ellen."

Dean hated himself at that moment as he forced himself to walk away from the door.


	9. Chapter 9

Previously:

_As Bobby and Ellen walked away, Dean went back to the door. Leaning against the door, Dean wished that he didn't have to leave._

"_Sam," Dean softly said. "I know you're mad at me, but I just wanted you to know that Bobby and I are leaving now. I wish you would open the door and let me see you before we leave."_

_Silence was all that greeted him._

"_Okay," Dean sighed. "We'll be back soon. Bye, Sam. Be good for Ellen."_

_Dean hated himself at that moment as he forced himself to walk away from the door._

* * *

Slumped slightly in the seat with one arm on the door and his head leaning against his palm, Dean tried to take his mind off of Sam and how upset the boy was when he left. He knew that he had promised his brother several times that he would not leave him, and now he was going back on his promises. It had only been two days ago that Dean and made the deal with the crossroads demon and then found his now five year old brother alone and frightened in the abandoned ghost town.

"I know it was rough leaving him like that," Bobby interrupted his thoughts, "but you can make it up to him when we return. He doesn't understand that you left to keep him safe. It's important that we stop the Yellow-Eyed Demon from carrying out his plans."

"Bobby," Dean replied, "I know what you are trying to do, but it isn't helping. When Sam was really five the first time around, I was always the one who took care of him while Dad was gone. Now, he thinks that Dad is away on a business trip, and he thinks that I've abandoned him too."

"Ellen will take good care of Sam until you get back."

Dean dropped his arm from the door and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. "I know she will, but…"

Bobby cut through his words.

"It won't do you any good to dwell on it now. We need to concentrate on the hunt that we have ahead of us, especially since we aren't sure what we are going up against."

Reluctantly nodding his head, Dean tried to concentrate on Bobby's words as the older hunter started talking about their strategy for the upcoming hunt. Despite his best efforts, however, Dean couldn't stop his mind from occasionally remembering Sam's accusatory words, tear streaked face, and the door slamming behind him.

* * *

Knocking softly on the door, Ellen said, "I made you an afternoon snack if you want to come out and eat with me in the kitchen."

Her words were met with silence. She briefly wondered if Sam might have fallen asleep, but the bed creaking and the sound of a sniffle let her know that Sam was awake and hearing her words.

"I know you are upset, Sam, but please come out here with me. We can have some fun ourselves while we wait for Dean to come back."

Still nothing.

'Okay,' Ellen thought. It had been over an hour since Dean and Bobby had left, and Sam still hadn't emerged from the locked bedroom. 'I've tried to coax him out, but that isn't working. Time for Plan B.'

Briefly leaving the door, Ellen grabbed the tools that she needed. Once back at the doorway, it didn't take long to use the lock picking equipment to get the door opened. As she entered, she only had a second to see Sam's face before he turned over and buried his face in the pillow.

Ellen walked into the room and gently sat down on the bed. Laying a hand on top of Sam's head, she softly began to run her fingers through his hair. The tender movements finally dislodged Sam from his spot as he slowly turned his head and rolled his eyes up to meet Ellen's.

"I didn't get to say goodbye," Sam sobbed. "What if I don't see him again?"

"Oh, honey," Ellen sympathetically whispered. "Dean will do everything in his power to get back here. Do you want to call him and talk for a minute?"

Sam's eyes widened. "Can I?"

"Sure," Ellen smiled. "I'm bet Dean would love to hear from you. He was really upset when you ran away from him and wouldn't talk to him before he left."

Sam sat up and lowered his head guiltily. Wanting to take the sad look off of Sam's face, Ellen quickly grabbed her cell phone and called Dean. Within seconds, Dean's worried voice answered the phone.

"Ellen? What happened? Is everything okay?"

Ellen gave Sam a reassuring pat as she held the phone out for Sam to grab. For a second, Sam stared confusedly at the phone. He had never seen a cell phone before, and he wasn't sure at first what to do. Understanding the problem, Ellen put the phone against Sam's ear.

"Talk to Dean," Ellen quietly instructed him.

"Hello?" Sam hesitantly said.

The reply was instantaneous.

"Sam! Are you okay?" Dean demanded.

Hearing Dean's voice on the phone, Sam immediately lit up.

"I'm sorry. Please come back. I miss you. Don't be mad at me. I didn't mean it."

Sam would have continued babbling, but Dean interrupted.

"Sam, slow down all right," Dean chuckled. It was great to hear his brother's voice again, to know that Sam still wanted him, needed him. "I promise as soon as Bobby and I are done with this job, we will come back to you. I miss you too, Sam."

"Will you see Daddy where you're going?" Sam asked.

There was a slight pause before Dean answered, "No, Sammy. Dad's working somewhere else."

Disappointed, Sam said, "Can I call him?"

"Sorry, Sam. Dad can't answer his phone right now. He's really busy with his work."

Dean hated lying to Sam about their father, but his brother wouldn't be able to understand if he told him that their father was dead. In Sam's mind, their father was still alive.

Trying to distract Sam from asking anymore questions about their father, Dean said, "I need you to listen to Ellen while we're gone, okay? She's in charge until I get back. Be good for her."

"I will," Sam promised. "I wish you didn't have to go."

"Me too," Dean said, a small lump in his throat. "I'll call you as soon as I can to let you know when we'll be back. Do you still have the necklace that I gave you?"

Looking down, Sam fingered the necklace that was hanging under his shirt. His brother had given it to him to wear while Dean was cleaning out his scrapes. Holding onto the necklace tightly, Sam answered affirmatively.

"Take good care of it for me," Dean said. "If you get scared or lonely, just look at the necklace and remember that I'm there with you."

"Okay. Bye, Dean. I love you."

"Love you too, Sammy."

Sam reluctantly handed the phone back to Ellen. Wanting to cheer Sam up, Ellen stood up off the bed and held her hand out.

"I made some peanut butter sandwiches. Come with me into the kitchen. I can't eat them all by myself. When we finish, I'll take you to the toy store."

Sam perked up a little at the promise of getting a new toy. Grabbing Ellen's hand, he began to drag her out of the room.

* * *

Dean was glad when they finally reached Wyoming. During the drive, he and Bobby and gone over and over what they would do once they reached the area. They still weren't sure what plans the demon had, but they knew they needed to be extra careful. Dean wanted to make sure that he would come home to Sam in one piece.

Opening the trunk, Dean and Bobby each grabbed a gun. Double checking that the gun was fully loaded and ready, Dean impatiently tapped the barrel against his leg.

"Are you ready?" Bobby asked, while sticking some extra supplies in his jacket pocket.

A steely look entered Dean's eyes.

"Hell, yes. Let's end this tonight."

Quietly, the two hunters began walking over the railroad lines. The area was quiet and still all around them. Sweeping his head from side to side, Dean was alert and looking for any sign that Jake might have come this way. Through a few trees, Dean's brow furrowed when he saw a cemetery up ahead. Old crumbling tombstones leaned crookedly out of the ground. Several of the stones were so old that the names were no longer visible.

Squinting, Dean was able to make out a figure standing near what looked like a mausoleum. As he glanced over at Bobby, the older hunter nodded to let Dean know that he had seen the figure too. Raising one hand, Dean pointed at Bobby and then pointed in one direction before pointing at himself and then gesturing in the other direction. Bobby nodded once again as the two hunters split up and began walking towards the man from opposite sides.

Dean carefully walked over the ground, avoiding any sticks or leaves that might alert Jake to the fact that they were closing in on him. Standing a few steps behind and to the side of Jake, Dean raised his gun and aimed it at the man's head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bobby in position as well.

From his spot, Dean could see the Colt in Jake's hand. The man was leaning slightly toward the doors with the gun outstretched. It looked like he was trying to fit the barrel of the gun into a small hole.

"I've got a gun aimed at your head," Dean warned. "Unless you want your brains decorating this graveyard, you'll slowly turn around and toss me the Colt."

A slight stiffening of Jake's shoulders was the only sign that Dean had surprised him.

"And just in case you get any ideas, I didn't come alone," Dean continued.

Jake slowly lowered the gun to his side and turned so that he could face both men surrounding him. Despite the fact that he was outnumbered, Jake had a smirk on his face.

"What are you laughing at?" Dean growled.

"It's funny," Jake commented, "the fact that you think you will win."

Dean clenched his jaw tight. "I'd shut my mouth if I were you. You stabbed my brother, and I'm not feeling too generous right now. My finger might slip and…"

His voice trailed off when he realized that his finger was frozen in place. He tried to pull the trigger, but his finger wouldn't move an inch. Quickly glancing up, his eyes immediately saw the satisfied look on Jake's face.

"My psychic powers have grown quite a bit."

"Yeah?" Dean grunted from the strain on his hand. "Why's that?"

"Your old friend the Yellow-Eyed Demon fed me some of his blood," Jake casually replied.

Shocked at the answer, Dean quit concentrating on his hand and instead concentrated fully on Jake. A slight movement caused Jake to quickly raise his hand to the left and stop Bobby in his tracks. Despite the fact that he still couldn't move, Dean could tell that there was a little less pressure on his hand than there had been before. Carefully watching Jake's face, Dean noticed a drop of sweat begin to roll down the man's face.

"You may have grown more powerful, but it doesn't look like you can hold both of us for long," Dean taunted.

"You know," Jake said, as his face began to show more strain, "I resented the demon at first. He had captured me, forced me to kill. I didn't want to do it, but he left me no choice. He threatened to kill my family. I tried to resist him at first when he fed me a few drops of his blood, but I could tell that my power was growing soon after." Jake paused before softly adding, "It feels so good."

A disgusted look filled Dean's face. He could tell that Jake wouldn't last much longer trying to hold back him and Bobby. Dean just needed to distract him for a while.

"When he doesn't need you any more, you know he'll kill you, right?" Dean asked. "Whatever he wants you to do, it isn't worth all the people who will die or get hurt from it."

Jake's outstretched arm was beginning to tremble. His eyes glanced between Dean and Bobby, and Dean could tell when the man had made his decision. Dean felt one strong push on his arm. As his arm swung to the side, the pressure holding his finger off of the trigger disappeared. Even though he tried to prevent it, the absence of the pressure caused his finger to pull back on the trigger. The gunshot was loud in the quiet night, and Dean was horrified when he realized that the gun had been pushed in Bobby's direction. Bobby yelled and suddenly dropped to the ground. Blood started staining the ground, but Dean couldn't tell how badly Bobby had been hit.

Without waiting to see what his actions had caused, Jake abruptly turned around and inserted the barrel into the hole and turned the gun. A clicking sound filled the air and Dean rushed to get out of the way.

"Bobby!" Dean yelled as he approached the hunter lying on the ground.

Dropping to his knees, he saw the blood coming out of Bobby's side. Gently, Dean started raising the shirt up so that he could see the wound. A hand on his arm stopped the motion. Glancing up, Dean met Bobby's pain-filled eyes.

"There's no time," Bobby grunted. "We have to stop the doors from opening."

"Why?" Dean asked, glancing over at the doors.

All of a sudden, the doors burst open. Black smoke forms began to quickly pour out of the opening. Jake was lying unconscious on the ground to the side of the doors. He had been flung back when one of the doors opened and smacked into him.

Bobby struggled to sit up, and Dean tried to force him to lie back down. Impatiently, Bobby brushed off the hands.

"That's a Devil's Gate," Bobby yelled over the loud noises emanating from the open doorway. "It's a door into hell. We've got to close the doors now!"

No longer trying to argue or stop the hunter, Dean grabbed Bobby under one arm and helped him to his knees. The blood was still slowly seeping from the wound, but Bobby just ignored the pain and struggled to his feet. The two stumbled over to the doors, Bobby occasionally leaning on Dean's shoulder.

"Can you do this?" Dean shouted, as he braced himself against one door and Bobby took the other one.

"No other choice," Bobby growled.

Leaning their full weights against the doors, the doors slowly started closing inch by inch. As he looked around the side of the door, Dean noticed that Bobby looked ashen. Sweat was beading on his forehead, and his white knuckled grip on the door didn't look like it would hold for long.

"One more push, Bobby! Don't you dare pass out on me," Dean threatened.

With their final strength, they heaved and finally got the doors to slam shut. Breathing heavily, Dean let his head fall back against the door as Bobby slid down to sit on the ground.

"You may have closed the doorway," a mocking voice called out, "but I still have many more plans in motion. Such as plans for our dear Sammy."


End file.
